Pentagon orders military academies to review books for possible removal

The Pentagon has ordered all military academies to identify and remove books from their libraries that deal with issues such as race, gender ideology, and other “divisive concepts” that are now considered “incompatible with the department’s core mission,” according to a memo obtained by CNN.

The Pentagon has ordered all military academies to identify and remove books from their libraries that deal with issues such as race, gender ideology, and other “divisive concepts” that are now considered “incompatible with the department’s core mission,” according to a memo obtained by CNN. The memo, dated Friday, is signed by the acting deputy undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness and also announces the creation of a temporary Academic Libraries Committee “comprised of knowledgeable leaders, educators, and library professionals” from across the Defense Department who will help identify and “sequester” the offending books for further review. The books must be identified and set aside for review by May 21, the memo says. The committee has already developed a list of search terms to help military leaders identify books that may need to be removed. The terms include: “Affirmative action,” “anti-racism,” “allyship,” “diversity in the workplace,” “gender transition,” “white privilege,” and “critical race theory,” according to an attachment to the memo. The establishment of a special committee to review books for removal across the miliary academies marks an escalation of the Defense Department’s efforts to eliminate “diversity, equity, and inclusion” content across the military. The Naval Academy has already removed nearly 400 books from its main library in an attempt to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive order in January mandating the removal of all “diversity, equity, and inclusion” content from K-12 schools, which Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth later said also applied to military academies.